


At The Whims of Giants

by TrickCheebs



Category: Half Life, half life but the ai is self aware
Genre: Alternate Universe - Borrowers Fusion, Borrower!Gordon Freeman, G/T, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:20:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24563011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrickCheebs/pseuds/TrickCheebs
Summary: TIME FOR REVERSE AU of my other fic "The Tapping of Little Feet" Where Gordon is the borrower for once.He's alone and paranoid about everything around him, but fates decided he'll live with the worlds most chaotic group of people..and maybe wind up happy along the way
Relationships: Benrey/Gordon Freeman, Benrey/Tommy Coolatta/Gordon Freeman, Bubby/Dr. Coomer (Half-Life), Darnold/Forzen (Half-Life)
Comments: 121
Kudos: 408





	1. The Hammering of A Little Heart

Gordon felt like his life could not get any worse, and if it could itd most likely result in his death to wrap things up the way things were going.

The day had started off so normally too..

Life here at the college was decent, hell it was better than most borrowers had it as far as Gordon remembered, though he figured not everyone got to grow up in such a place. There was food, shelter and hell they all were well off enough that some had tried taking up learning the same things the beans were. Several of the settlement were well versed in english and math..Gordon himself was starting to dedicate himself to the sciences in hopes of doing something interesting with his life.

That's where mistakes were made..least for him. He was watching some of the younger scientists do trials in the lab.. He loved listening and watching them do their tests, hell if he could do it himself one day thatd be a dream come true he had thought.

Gordon had gotten too curious for his own good about what one of the students were testing..and as a result nudged a beaker off its shelf. The resulting crash caused several chain reactions from the students below, some were spooked and destroyed the delicate work they had been doing. The worst of it had been several chemicals catching fire upon exposure to the open air.. Things went to hell shortly thereafter. But worst of all the one he had been watching was what ruined his life forever. The chemicals were far more volatile than either bean or borrower expected and a huge explosion was the result.

Half the ceiling was destroyed and most in the building were evacuated. Gordon moved to follow suit when a noise caught him..

The student he had been watching..was now watching him. For ten agonizing seconds the two stared each other down before another moved to drag the student out by force yelling something about the chemicals being dangerous to breathe in for too long. The student that had spotted him never took his eyes off Gordon until they were pulled from the room entirely. Gordon thought thatd be the end of it..only later to find out it could only get so much more worse. News had gotten around fast about his hand in the accident somehow. And now friends and foe alike were shunning him for his dangerous actions.

Two days had passed and it had gotten so bad his tools and supplies he worked so hard on getting or making were being destroyed. Either from carelessness..or from a spiteful hand when he wasn't paying attention. When he finally confronted the leaders of their little settlement he was delivered the final blow. He had a choice..either leave on his own terms or be kicked out and left to die. He had some honor and dignity so he chose to leave, only asking for some replacement tools and a few days worth of rations. At least they were nice enough to grant him that despite several wanting otherwise.

It was nearing the end of the day and he desperately needed to find some decent looking bean to hitch a ride with...maybe just for the weekend or something?? At this point his options were far and few. Racing about the labs he was blessed by seeing one student still lingering about packing up. He knew this bean! They were Tommy! He was a regular at the labs, a teaching assistant maybe? But he was nice from what Gordon remembered watching from him..least more nice than half the other fucking people he now knew.

Tommy was kind, careful and didnt act carelessly..he was everything a borrower would want in a host family right? That's what he had thought when he snuck into Tommy's work bag and got a lift to his home.. As it turned out Tommy lived with someone else and a massive dog named Sunkist. The dog had almost found him out the second the bag was set down, or least he thought so judging by how the massive animal stared right the fuck at him through a hole he made.

Dogs were..fucking scary from a distance and this was ten times worse. The unknown roommate was scary too despite Gordon barely even being able to see all of them.. they sounded big based alone by their walking patterns..Oh god had this been a mistake? He could wait until they both went to sleep and make his way out..hopefully. But it seemed the two beans could stay up for hours on end, leaving Gordon about to pass out from forcing himself to stay on high alert for so long.

But patience paid off and finally all the lights were turned off at last.

"Oh thank fucking god..holy shit just..fuck today already."

Quietly muttering to himself he finally pulled himself free from the depths of Tommy's bag, grunting as his joints popped..being stuck in one place for..six or some hours was murder on his back. Stretching first..because no experienced borrower goes out cramping for gods sake and grabbing his tools before finally venturing out to explore his..hopefully temporary living space. The main room he found himself in was..messy and dark as all get out. He could see a few feet ahead of him, and after making sure to listen for anything lurking nearby he fished out his flashlight to explore further. 

He felt some pride in his little tools, the flashlight was one of the few things he built by hand. It wasnt clunky like the others his old colleagues made. It had a screw in base he could attach to his exploring staff and direct the beam with the shell he kept in his bag. Though the only other thing he treasured more was the pair of glasses he owned..A older borrower had figured out why he couldn't see too well growing up and after some heavy trial and error made him a pair of glasses.. He learned how to do it himself when he was old enough and looked up to the older borrower..and the miracle of science ever since.

But that was in the past..he had to focus and get some food and find a place to bed down for the night. The living area was easy enough to navigate.. there were two off shoot hallways that he looked into briefly..One lead to Tommy's room and the other was the strange roommate was. He wanted to give both a wide berth until he knew what they were like.

Hed be avoiding Tommy's room at all costs..the big fucking dog slept in there with him..He refused to be anywhere near dogs for long..When he was first starting out borrowing a students dog had locked onto him and damn near devoured him if it wasn't for their owner's leash catching them at the last second.

Since then he avoided all pets at all costs..and if he couldn't hed make doubly sure Sunkist would never reach him..The dog was smart, and that he hated with a passion..it just..stared at him the entire time he was trapped in Tommy's bag..not moving a inch until one of the beans came to physically move them. That had been a nightmare honestly..he was slowly regretting his choice the longer he stayed here.

Letting his mind wander he was scared shitless when the wall he was walking beside make a loud bang, followed by raucous laughter. He was quietly relieved no one heard the shriek of panic that escaped him..Did they have neighbors? It sounded like it..moving to put his ear against the wall he could just make out two male voices on the other side.

"That was excellent form Bubby dear! You almost had me that time!"

"God damn Coomer you fucking damn near put my ass through the wall that time.."

"Oh dear theres a crack again..I do hope Benry wasnt doing his little video show and tell thing tonight."

"Who cares? Now get over here so I can put you in that hold again you will bastard"

"Only if you can catch mee~!"

Gordon made a face at the wall as the laughter picked back up..who the hell was that??

It sounded like they were fighting to the death over there..there was no way in hell hed EVER go over to that home..it sounded like hed surely die with whoever was living there..By the way it sounded, he'd be crushed possibly instantly by one of them rough housing.. This place was getting worse and worse by the minute.

"Jesus christ are all beans this insane in their own homes? Holy fuck..you sure know how to pick them Gordon."

As he was walking back to where he hoped the kitchen was..the door closest to him was suddenly kicked open, setting his heart up into his throat instantly.

"Fuckin old men flirt fighting all damn night..Cant even sleep..fuckin hungry.."

Oh god oh fuck oh no. He was out in the fucking open like a idiot, the closest thing he could get to for cover was a hoodie laying on the floor..it was fucking massive, so maybe the bean wouldn't see him? Hunkering down and praying his luck would kick in at least once today he burrowed slightly into the sleeve and watched the approaching danger.

"..damn bro it's dark in here..Tommy must of figured I passed out..hope we still got some ramen left..gotta get that good shit in me~"

The lights flicked on and Gordon shielded his eyes until it was safe to open them..His stomach bottomed out upon seeing this.."Benry" person at last. They were massive, sure Tommy was ungodly tall for a bean, but this one was built like a fortress of muscle it seemed.. Their eyes were cast in shadows as he watched them move about the apartment gathering things and making food. It was rare he ever saw such a massive bean.. he was used to the thin gangly ones in the college labs.. Just being a few feet away from them was nerve wracking.

Benry hummed quietly to himself as he moved about making a late night snack. Sure it sucked being woken up by Coomer body slamming his husband into their shared wall..again. Least he could get some late night gaming in before classes started up. Shuffling around in the kitchen he went about making himself some ramen..it was cheap and simple but any decent college student like him knew the tricks to make even shitty ramen good. Slurping some noodles as he moved back towards his room he stopped to stare at one of his hoodies laying on the ground.. It was covered in Sunkists hair and possibly some old food stains.. Shit he should probably do laundry...sometime this week?

Moving closer he bent down to grab one of the sleeves and give it a sniff...oh god yeah he should probably wash that..but not right now. That shit could wait until after a few rounds of dead by daylight. He had to get his ranks up before the new dlc dropped.

"Got my food, let's get to gamin..hell yea"

Gordon meanwhile back in the hoodie had just felt his heart restart after what felt like a eternity. He did not fucking expect Benry to come grab the hoodie he was hiding in.. he had slid back just enough to see a pair of vivid grey blue eyes staring down at him..with the shadows cast over his face they almost glowed..

He was so damned close to that beans face he could feel the warmth of their breath as they talked to themselves. That was far to goddamed close for Gordon. It was only when he heard the click of Benrys door did he finally consider moving at long last.

"Ff...fuck this place..oh my god I need to get someplace safe.."

He pulled himself from the hoodie and scrambled to a safer haven..the couch nearby looked far more better than the big fucking hoodie..He was never getting near that damn thing ever again, the blue article of clothing was fucking cursed as far as he was concerned now. Everything else for now was forgotten as his heart stopped beating hard enough to burst..He had no energy left to move after all that.. so after calming down he had gathered what he could to make a makeshift nest bed and passed out.

He was awoken sometime later by someone running about like a fire had been started, the loud bangs scared the ever loving shit out of him... not so great a start to the day. Peeking out he saw it was Benry of all people running about the apartment, for what reason Gordon could only guess..

"Tommy! Tommy did you see the fuckin news bro? Holy shit man turn on the tv."

"Y-Yeah I saw some parts of it on Twitter..d'you think it's gonna be that bad?"

"Dunno..but fuckkit lets take a look for ourselves."

Curiosity got the better of him, and Gordon scooted closer to see what what was going on as the two beans sat down to check the news. There had been declared a state of emergency due to some..illness? And now everything was being forcibly closed down for everyone's safety. The more he listened to things, the pit in his stomach grew..He had just gotten here, had barely even enough time to learn anyones patterns..and now the world itself was going into Quarantine..The word itself sounded terrifying. 

"Ah fuck bro..we should totes get some supplies while we can.."

"Yeah..we should see if uhhh Dr. Coomer and Bubby need anything."

At the mention of names the door was kicked open and a rather built older man and another older man who looked like a gremlin walked in, Tommy and Benry waved happily. Gordon's eyes widened..so these were the two wrestling last night? Judging by Dr. Coomers build it was no fucking wonder.. But the one known as Bubby..looked like a stiff wind would break him in half almost..

"Hello Tommy! Hello Benry! Did you see the news? Theres a quarantine in effect, how terrifying!"

"Yeah its utter bullshit, you two want to carpool with us and get shit before the asshats grab everything?"

"Hi Dr. Coomer, and yeah! Shits uh..shits getting pretty crazy..what do you think they're gonna do about school?"

"Well Tommy if I'm right they'll shut us down and send everybody home. Well all get possibly paid time off, Bubby and I have tenure so we won't be getting fired."(edited)

As they talked Gordon was silently screaming..He had barely gotten here and it seemed the whole world was going to shit. He barely had any time to adjust to this new place and now it seemed like he was going to be trapped here..with so many unknown factors.. If he ever wanted to go home now was the perfect time. That was if he could even get home to begin with.. If the news was as they said..everything would be going into lockdown until further notice.. He'd be trapped here, with these four beans as his only means of survival.

A few more minutes of talking and the beans all left to get supplies.. Gordon should of been overjoyed at the peace and quiet. But all it did was remind him of how alone he was now..

"...I'm gonna fuckin die aren't I? ..oh god oh damn..Shit."

He had to come up with some sort of plan..he always felt better with something to follow. A borrowers life revolved around structure and schedules.. to fuck that up meant death. So..sure it was a shitty start but maybe he could make this work? How chaotic can four beans be? All he needed to do was for the time being, make himself a safe shelter..maybe in the walls between both homes..he did find the one door that connected them together. Hed try and make a home there and work his way up. Speaking of which, they were all gone..now was his chance to get to work before they came back and ran the risk of hearing him clear a space out.

"You can do this Gordon..itll be hard but you got this! Just stick to the plan and itll all be okay."

A week had passed and if Gordon could strangle his past self he would of done so gladly.. Whatever powers that be had somehow placed him in the homes of the four most goddamned unpredictable beans to ever live. Food was goddamned impossible to get if none of the beans stayed still in one fucking room long enough for him to get to it.. And any chance he did get was met with near death and discovery...In the last day alone he had nearly been stepped on by Bubby and Coomer having a argument over which chemicals could melt concrete the fastest. He had almost gotten something, only to nearly be crushed under that massive jackass Benry who thought itd be a great idea to flop onto the couch in the dark and sleep.

The only form of nourishment he had gotten at all in the last three days was a bit of dog treat Sunkist had dropped right beside his hiding spot. Sure he had dignity but what the hell did that matter if you were the only one who saw what you did? ...Weirdly enough it didnt taste as bad as it looked, something like yams and a grain of some sort? 

But that didnt last him even the day and now he was starving..not to mention thirsty as hell..All Tommy and Benry seemed to drink was cans and cans of soda..He couldn't risk trying go get the faucet to turn on and now felt like his whole throat was sandpaper.

In short, he was in hell and wanting at least one last bite before he died..These beans were possibly products of satan..he was sore and irritated from nearly dying half a dozen times to each of them..And none of them even noticed their fucking feet or hands slamming into him time and time again..He outright refused to go into Bubby and Coomers house anymore unless they left the house entirely..Coomer had almost grabbed him from under the couch looking for the remote and had instead slapped him into the wall several times with deadly enthusiasm it felt like..

Tommy was too careful and clean to even bother trying to scavenge any food from him, and Sunkist...well they seemed to know where he was almost all the damned time. It scared him to see that murderous ball of fur just a few feet away from his hiding spots, laying down and just staring a hole into him.. Thankfully neither Tommy or Benry seemed to notice her habits and carried on unaware.  
He was exhausted on all ends, leaving was too much of a risk..hed need supplies he couldn't get and sleep he did not have. He had had at least one or two breakdowns already and life just didnt seem to care enough to give him a break.

At least until he pull himself out of his depression spiral to hear whatever the hell Tommy was saying.

"I know I know, but I'll be back before midnight. You gonna stream after the shower?"

" Yeah, been feelin grody today man, take your time gettin back from Darnolds place. Give the homies a kiss for me heheh"

"You know what I will...I will kiss the homies."

"Helll yeahh...enjoy your night out man, me and Sunkist got this shit on lockdown."

Was he hearing things? Tommy was going to be gone most of the night and Benry was going to be occupied with a stream, possibly for even longer. Was his luck finally turning over?? It was barely even eight in the evening..He could finally scavenge and get back on his feet at last.

"Oh my sweet god I could cry right now..Please dont let this be a sick joke from God..."

Tommy soon left to visit..whoever the hell Darnold was and Gordon all but sprinted towards Benrys room in a bid to get as much time as he could for finding any food..He always dreaded being remotely near Benry just because of how huge they were compared to him..it also didnt help that they kept the weirdest sleep schedule out of all the beans and would pop up randomly..The only thing that made up for it was his..streaming thing? Benry would seclude himself in his room and play something on the computer for countless hours on end, wearing some massive headphones and talk to someone Gordon couldn't see..The upside to this was Benry was clueless about what went on around or behind him.

The other good thing was that Benry was..messy as all get out. Food was left everywhere for at least a day or so before Tommy would make them clean up.. it had gotten worse as of late since Tommy was stuck home with everyone else and went about cleaning day to day as something to do.. It had left Gordon with fewer and fewer resources and even fewer hiding spots.

As he ducked into Benrys room he knew the risk was high..but he knew they made dinner a half hour ago and Benry ate a good amount..or at least took a good amount, only to eat it for hours later even ice cold..If he was lucky thered still be a good portion sitting out for him to eat off of before Benry got out of the shower. His timing was right thankfully tonight for once.. As he cleared the door and pulled himself under the doorframe, he heard the shower being turned on.

"Oh thank god..I got plenty of time to eat..please let this be a long one tonight.."

Not even bothering to be quiet anymore at this point he dashed for Benrys computer and frantically pulled himself up using that same damned blue hoodie draped on the chair. It took longer than hed admit..no rest or any food for almost four days sucks..But he could smell the food up top and if he didnt give a shit currently about stealth, the noise his stomach made would of surely alerted someone to where he was..

"Almost there...whatever the fuck they made tonight it smells like heaven.."

In seconds he was up on the computer desk..it was somewhat cluttered but Gordon locked onto the bowl of food right away..It was some sort of noodle dish? It looked like Chinese or something..he could smell the soy sauce from here. He usually wasnt a huge fan of the stuff since it left a mess all over him but fuck that right now.

"Oh my god come here you big beautiful bastard~! Finally some fucking food!"

He damn near dove into the bowl, having just enough restraint to stop himself..no use getting stuck and being found out..or worse not being found out and eaten. It was one of his minor fears but no one had been eaten in decades..well that he knew of and beans were cannibals. But Benry was big enough he refused to risk it, silly fear or not. Reaching into the bowl he happily began stuffing his face with every bit he could reach. The sauce tasted wonderful despite sticking to everything it touched. It didnt matter at the moment to Gordon as hunger overtook his mind and he began stuffing his face with reckless abandon.

Meat, veggie and noodle were crammed away eagerly, sauce was getting everywhere but Gordon couldn't be assed to properly care, he was in heaven and wasnt planning on leaving until he was fit to burst.

"Mmn! Holy shit what even is this?? It's so good.. fuck I should of had something to take leftovers..mnn ah well fuck it"

It had been so long since he last ate nothing right now mattered other than filling himself with this gift before he was tossed back into his usual starving paranoid state..Gordon was enjoying himself enough that the click of a door was completely missed.

"Mnn should of gotten more shampoo last grocery run..fuck it I'll nab some more tomorrow..though shit Tommy's got the good stuff..smells like a cake party..."

Benry had finished up with his shower and wandered back into his room to finish getting dressed, toweling his mess of hair off so it'd dry naturally.

Gordon froze mid bite..oh god, how the fuck did he not hear Benry coming in?? Figures the one time he let's himself enjoy something he fucks it up.. Benry seemed to be distracted drying that long mess of hair, maybe there was hope for him yet? In a mad scramble to avoid being seen out in the open like a fucking dumbass, Gordon all but sprinted towards the edge and practically threw himself over the edge towards the carpeted floor below, unfortunately his leg snagged a cord and tugged Benrys headphones and some sort of tiny statue down with him.

The loud thunk did not go unnoticed, Benrys head snapping up at the clattering sound at his desk with a hum of confusion.

"..what the hell? Ah shit Miku whered you go..?"

Moving to grab his shirt he shuffled over towards his desk, he must of left his headphones too close to the edge of the desk again..huffing he moved to set them back on the desk before pulling the chair out to retrieve miku from wherever the hell she landed.

"Damnit Miku..hope your pigtails didnt break off again.. whered you go?"

Gordon was frozen with absolute terror, that behemoth of a bean was getting to close..He couldn't move now without being seen, but he desperately wanted to bolt for safety as Benry got closer and closer still. Blood was rushing so loudly he could barely make out what the hell they were even mumbling about..what the fuck was Miku? Was it the statue near him?? He had to move, he had to fucking get away but his body was refusing to respond.

Benry couldn't see much under the desk..his phone was back on the bed but he was too lazy to reach back and find it honestly.. He saw one or two shapes near the back wall and figured poor Miku broke again..He knew Tomy still kept some super glue in the hall closet, he could patch her up and have her dry before the stream tonight. With that plan of action in mind he lazily moved in to grab at one of the tiny shapes.

"There you are..come here you lil shit.."

Reaching out he grabbed the one farthest away with his right hand..only something felt...off about it? Curious, Benry shifted to bring whatever the hell he just grabbed into the light.

The hand was fucking massive, and even still Gordon couldn't move to save his own life..he was on the verge of tears as his own body sealed its fate and let Benry grab them without even fighting back..So this was how he was going to die then..fucking perfect.

The hand fully encased him, leaving barely part of his head exposed as it dragged him back into the open for its owner to see its prize..Every horrible death and torture scenario was now playing in Gordon's head..he never thought hed be caught like this..he had always hoped hed go out fighting..or best case scenario in his sleep..

Benry pulled the little figure out into the light to inspect the damage from the fall. It certainly wasnt Miku that much he was sure of..He really didnt remember buying this one either..Maybe Tommy bought it for him? In the dim as fuck light of his room he could see it was a male figure of some sort? He only had a few but none of them were on the desk.. so whered it come from? It looked highly detailed strangely enough...

Gordon was face to face with one of his tormentors and it was one of the ones he had wanted to avoid the most..Those electric blue eyes felt like they were searing into him, his head was pounding and everything felt light. As he was brought closer to his own demise, he could faintly see his own reflection in Benrys own eyes..he looked so small and useless being held like he was..he was going to die to this massive bastard..He didn't want to die like this.. He was too close, everything was too close, too tight and too much to bear any longer..

"LET ME GO!!"

Gordon wasnt aware of when he started screaming but part of him was mildly impressed at the volume alone he managed to achieve..Even more so the effect it had on his captor. Benry dropped him like he had been stung and Gordon wasted no time in outright sprinting away to safety..wherever the hell that might be. He had escaped but at what cost?? It didn't matter for the time being, what did matter was putting as much distance between himself and Benry as he physically could.

Meanwhile Benry had stopped dead in his tracks the moment the little figure howled at him to be released..Did that just happen?? What the fuck was going on..that wasnt a doll or figure..no fucking way..That was a whole ass human he was just holding in his hand..It all felt so surreal that he was having a bit of a time processing it for a few minutes.

"Holy shit..did..did that just fuckin happen? Like..was that even real?? Bro.."Benry sat there for a time, head slowly processing the events that just unfolded..That really didnt just happen..did it? He sat up feeling so confused..people didnt come that small..

"Bro I must be fucking cracked..theres no way in hell that actually happened..I must be so starved my stomachs eating my brain..yeah.."

Pulling himself into the chair behind him he reached for the bowl of noodles cooling on the desk beside him..maybe some food would help things out.

"..?? Wait...what the fuck?"

Along the far rim of his bowl..were tiny hand and along the edge of the table were a mess of hand and footprints from the sauce in his noodles..He stared at them for a solid minute or so before a look of amazement crossed his face at last. Turning the bowl around to look at it properly, he was still in shock..five perfect little fingers on several tiny hand prints dotted the outer part of his bowl..like itty bitty snowflakes almost.

"...oh my god..Oh my fuck that was real..I just grabbed a whole ass person.. I gotta tell Tommy when he gets back."

As the amazement washed over him..another thought occurred..They screamed to be let go..Come to think of it they looked...scared even? Looking back to the bowl a few threads were starting to connect in Benrys head. They had snuck into his room to grab some food while he was in the shower..And the look they gave him when he screamed..it looked like he was about to drop dead from fear. Benrys amazement dropped to worry in seconds.

"..oh fuck..Did I just scare them away from a meal?"

Elsewhere in the house, Gordon finally collapsed from his dead sprint to safety..numbly aware he was not being followed..yet. The dread in his stomach only growing worse as he laid on the floor.

He had been seen..and from now on things would only get worse from here on out..


	2. A Man Can Only Take So Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big shout out to Kibbits and Arc for helpin me work this shit out   
> and the Research Squad discord for fuckery in general
> 
> Gordon finds out what its like seeing the face of death multiple times. Benry kinda gets a little gay and doesnt know how to handle shit.
> 
> Sunkist is the best fucking dog ever and manages the braincells of the house. Shes a therapy dog for panic and anxiety attacks mostly.. So she keys in on Tommy and Benry both when its needed.

The next several days were the worst that Gordon had ever endured..and he was sure they were going to be his last..  
Benry was now painfully aware of his existence and spent most of the day stepping about lightly..and trying to nonchalantly search for him under any and all surfaces..Gordon was so scared of being spotted all he could do was constantly move and stay awake out of sheer fear of those eyes locking onto him again.

What little sleep he did get was plagued by nightmares of giant hands reaching out and killing him in worse and worse methods..By day three he was a mess and that was putting it mildly..He was starved and beyond exhausted..but he couldn't stop moving or else hed be found and killed..Leaving was out of the question..more so now than before.   
Fighting to stay awake now, the world around him felt hazy, he had found a spot behind a dresser in the kitchen that Benry had yet to ever check..The last dregs of energy had long since left him, and now he sat slumped on his side fighting sleep and losing badly.

"..I don't..I dont want to die like this..oh god..oh god I'm scared..whoevers..running this shit, can I least have one nice dream before I die..?"

Knowing hed receive no answer he sighed and finally gave in and let sleep claim him fully at last. In what felt like seconds Gordon slumped over onto his side and sleeping the deepest sleep he had ever gotten in that house.

Benry had by now given up hope of finding the tiny man again..either he had fled or was that damn good at hiding from them..which he understood..Taking a long look at what had happened he realized the man was likely terrified of him..and everything in general..Dude fit in one hand..if he was that size hed probably freak the fuck out too being grabbed by someone his size..He still had hope of finding them and..maybe saying sorry? He knew how most people looked at him..A massive serial killer type..it sucked but those who he did make friends with stuck by him for life, like Tommy for instance..And Sunkist, she was fucking awesome for a dog.

Speaking of which..she was doing something weird in the ktichen..like a little dance? Was she hungry or something? Getting up off the couch he wandered over to investigate.

"What's up girl? You hungry?? Wanting to dance, get krunk? ...What's with you and the shelf?"

Sunkist was doing a pointed stance at the shelf corner, whining softly over something..did something get knocked behind it? Smiling he gently pushed her to move it aside..one of the pros of being so big was moving things was hellishly easy.

"You lose a ball or somethin back here girl? Fuckin sucks for you, dont even got fingers to move shit.."

Pushing it aside enough to bend down and get behind it himself he looked down to see where the toy had gotten..What he absolutely did not expect to see was..a tiny curled up figure in the far back..Be rays heart skipped a beat as he quickly recognized the tiny figure as the little man he had grabbed a few days prior..

"..no..no fucking way..Oh my god Sunkist you found him?? Good girl..You are getting like so many fucking treats for this.."

Sunkists only reply was a soft boof before flipping down beside Benrys leg, giving a clearly worried noise at the small stranger..Benry did not like the way he was situated..it looked like it hurt to lay like that on the ground..Should he pick them up? They hadn't moved since the shelf..and that did not bode well..If he couldn't find them this whole time..were they just hiding here?? Fuck did that mean they were dead?? The idea alone that he was responsible for scaring someone badly enough that they died inadvertently because of him..did not sit well at all with him. He had to make sure they were alive..and that meant picking them up..If they were unconcious and woke up in his hands..they could hurt themselves trying to escape..but if he left them here..they'd most likely die.

"...Fuck..Okay if you wake up anytime soon..I am so fucking sorry lil dude..for like..everything."

Leaning down further, Benry carefully moved to grab the tiny unconscious form before him..being absolutely mindful of how gentle he was. Moving slowly he pushed himself back into a standing position and now for the first time could properly see this tiny person in the light. They looked..like utter shit for starters..thin and dirty..not to mention even from here he could see how worn out and tired they looked..

Opening his hand to get a better look, while slowly moving back to his room he found..even despite how shit they looked...no thanks to him most likely..Knowing that made him frown softly..they did look..kinda cute as the sunlight danced over their small hopefully sleeping form.

"..jesus you're so small..how'd you even get like that?"

He needed to get Tommy..his roommate had thought he went crazy for the last three or so days tearing the apartment apart looking for the little man now in his hands..It felt so surreal holding them like this..Hopefully he was alright..maybe he had just passed out? He was too small to check for a pulse without help. Benry did not want to think about him being just...dead like that..He looked fairly youngish.. It was hard to tell, maybe if they woke up he could talk with them and get to know them more?

"Tommy? Yooo Tommy where are you we got a emergency!"

He was moving slowly, afraid to disturb his cargo too much..The tiny man barely moved..hell he felt barely warm to the touch..He knew Tommy wasnt much of a medical doctor but he knew enough to help. Tommy poked his head out of his room before wandering over to where he heard Benrys frantic calls coming from.

"B-Benry what's up? Did something happen?"

"Yeah, remember that shit I was talking about a few days ago?"

"You mean the tiny man that stole your miku?"

"Bro I found her, but yeah him..guess what I found his ass with Sunkists help."

"Bull-Bullshit man lemme see."

Tommy walked over, half expecting a long drawn out joke from Benry...only to stop dead in seeing the tiny slow breathing form in his hands.

"That's uh...that's a uhhh..whole ass man you got there Benry.."

"I know right? But..I cant tell if hes...if hes y'know..alive still."

Tommy leaned in to get a closer look at the sleeping man in Benrys hold..They looked horrible honestly, possibly on the last legs of life at worst but judging by Benrys tone that was the last fucking thing he needed to hear right now.

"Hang on I'll get my shit..Darnolds lent me some of his older tools so...we can uhh see how stable he is..If anything he probably just uhh passed out from lack of sleep..I can see those fuckin bags from here."

Tommy could see Benry was freaking out a mile off, Sunkist was hovering closely if it escalated further like the good dog she was trained to be. Benry had talked nonstop about a "tiny whole ass man I found in my room it was fucking weird." And had while he tore the entire house apart looking for him was nuts, he did appreciate the massive clean up Benry did afterwards. Finding said man like this though..Tommy quietly hoped they werent too late in possibly treating him. He wasnt a medical doctor..but he hung out enough with med students to know his way around the basics and then some. Darnold dated some dude named Forzen who was..odd for a med student but he was happy to unload any and all info when asked about what to do. He was pretty alright if not intense, Forzen and Benry got along like a house on fire during the few parties they met up at whenever Tommy wasn't getting blasted enough to not remember.. He did cut back since the one time he woke up on the library roof in someones dress and a sword. Wait fuck he needed to focus here not reminisce.

Grabbing the stethoscope and pulling Benry into the kitchen for better lighting he examined and listened as best he could. There was..a soft but steady heartbeat after Tommy tried several times to listen in.

"Well he has a pulse so hes not gonna die on you..By human standards hes severely malnourished and very very sleep deprived..He might be out cold for several more hours?"

Benry let out a long sigh of relief..the fear of killing someone on accident was gone for the moment..He shot Tommy a smile as he leaned in to get a better look at their new tiny roommate.

"Shit bro that's hella good to hear..I was freaking out bad for a while there.."

"Yeah I know you're worrying the fuckall out of Sunkist. Hes gonna be alright man, breathe.."(edited)

Benrys shoulders slumped down as a long breath was taken..Tommy was always good at seeing through his act when it counted..Yeah he was freaking out pretty badly..enough so that tears had begun to well up in the corners of his eyes. Tommy was sympathetic towards him and gently nudged him towards his room as Benry wiped his eyes with a free hand.

"I'll get him some food and water for when he wakes up. I know you're like..hella worried for him so you can keep him nearby."

"..shit is it that obvious..? Yeah alright..thanks Tommy, I owe ya.."

"You can pay me back with a kiss bro, you know I'll always support the baes and homies."

Benry snorted and leaned over to kiss Tommy on the cheek, which he got back as Tommy laughed and snuck a smooch before Benry could move away. Feeling so much better now, Benry moved to take his charge back to his room to rest up. Setting the small man on his pillow for a moment he dug through his clothes and belongings for something small and soft enough to place him on..eventually settling on a old hoodie he outgrew but still had for god only knows why. Folding it up into a small bed like shape he grabbed a scarf to set beside it and moved to grab the tiny guy once more..

"..hope you wake up soon man.."

With Tommy not hanging over him he could get a closer look at the tiny guy now resting on his desk..He looked like he desperately needed some good solid meals and..maybe a bath?   
But aside from that..if he was being honest with himself..they kinda did look..cute? Not in the cutesy doll sort of way..but the kind of way where he felt his cheeks get slightly warmer the longer he wondered who this guy was. He wondered what he'd be like if he were full sized...well now his face was growing warmer so..better stop that line of thought, he just met the guy formally.

Was he a renegade human experiment gone wrong and was forced to survive all alone? Was he a alien captain stranded from his crew? So many theories were floating around in his head about it that he didn't hear Tommy come up behind him with a small tray of food and cup of water.

"You already got him a bed set up? Shit man you must have it bad huh~?"

Tommy gave a playful nudge as he set the plate down. Benry made a choked back squawk and whapped his arm.

"Bro shut up..I was just thinking about why hes like..well the size of a action figure.."

"I was wondering that too..maybe we can ask when he wakes up? I'd just be patient man..your new crush will wake up when hes ready."

"Brooo please stop, I do not have a damn crush on him!"

"Sureee and you didnt stare at me like that when we first met. I'm just teasing you about it you know that."

Benry stuck his tongue out at Tommy, who only laughed and gently kissed his forehead before leaving Benry to his own devices at last.   
Benry gave a soft huffs before turning back to glance at the tiny sleeping form.

"..it is not a crush.."

Hours and hours later, Gordon slowly felt himself being dragged out of the loving embrace of unconsciousness unwillingly..The first thing he noticed was that he was warm, he hadn't been this comfortable and warm since being forced out of the college..possibly before then too. Whatever he had found to sleep in smelled nice..damn did he really have to wake up just yet? It has been so long since he has slept this hard..he felt inclined to indulge in a hardy sleep spot like this.

Wait..something felt off about all this a small part of him said..the part of him that kept the rest alive when shit went south..He couldn't remember where or what had happened last before he fell asleep..but warning bells were slowly beginning to sound off the longer he stayed awake.

He shouldn't be comfortable..there was a reason for it..but he couldn't quite get past the haze of sleep to fully remember just yet. Instead he allowed himself to slowly stretch out, softly grunting at how good it felt when a few pops sounded off. Feeling somewhat good he risked pushing himself up to finally shake the last dregs of sleep from his eyes..The moment his eyes refocused he immediately remembered why he listened to that little voice in his head..(edited)

There, not even a foot or two away sleeping on top of the desk he found himself on..was the same giant bean that found him before. Memories had finally clicked back into place and Gordon just barely kept himself from screaming in terror. He had passed out somewhere..somewhere long enough for the giant bastard to find him and move him elsewhere in his sleep. Hands frantically patted himself down, did they do anything to him? Was he missing anything?..The only things gone were his tools..but by now they were either broken or he could retrieve them later...maybe.

But right now he needed to fucking run, this might be his only chance, if they found him once they'd find him again and again.. he needed to run and find a new house to live in. Now fully awake and scared shitless he tried to wiggle his way free of the cloth bed he was trapped in. But doing so while keeping both eyes trained on the massive sleeping form nearby..was proving more difficult than he expected it to be. They were so damned close he could feel the warmth radiating off their body in slow waves..That must of been why he was sleeping so damned well..he rarely ever slept in a warm spot..just made due with protection, comfort was a commodity he could rarely afford to have.  
He could not afford to make any noise with them this close, any sound could possibly prove to be his undoing..

But as Gordon tried shifting himself off the hoodie and gsin some distance..he failed to see the small plate of food left out for him and as a result, bumped it enough to make a loud clacking noise. Gordon broke eye contact to glare vehemently at the traitorous thing..only to feel his blood run cold when something stirred behind him..or more correctly someone.

Benry heard a soft noise pretty damn close to his head and let out a yawn..shit did he fall asleep at the desk again? He had no idea what time it was but he forced himself to slowly sit up and look around to see what caused the noise. Turning to his left he saw that the little strange man had moved at long last..He seemed to be halfway stuck in his scarf and the plate of food. He also seemed to be staring a hole into his head..shit better say hi and not be rude..hes probably a bit confused.

"Oh hey bro..you finally woke up..you sleep okay?"

Oh god..oh fucking god they were awake and talking to him. He couldn't escape now if they were aware of him..The way the shadows covered parts of his face made those same blue eyes bore into him like drills..he did not like being stared at by those eyes..he wanted to run again, hell crawling would be fine at this point but his body had locked up in fear the moment he met that gaze..

Benry waited for a response..only to not get one? He knew they could talk..the first time they met he had yelled at him to be let go..Shit..come to think of it..they are looking kinda..freaked the fuck out really badly right now. Ohh..right. He probably looks like shit..he could feel the impression from his sleeve on his face dimly.. and maybe being too close probably doesn't help? Tommy always did tell him that he looked like a hairy demon if he napped on the desk, it did some fucked up shit to his face and hair..Maybe he didn't move much and it got all staticky from the computer? Who knows..but he better help the little guy relax, freaking him out was the last thing on the agenda.

"Oh fuck..my bad man..I forgot you like your space..uhhh gimme a second man."

Shifting a bit he slid the chair out and away before just...sitting himself on the floor. Now he was mostly level with the tiny guy and giving plenty of space. Hopefully they'd calm down a bit so they could talk.

"Chill out though bro..I come in peace and shit like that.."

Gordon tensed up when he saw the other moving, was he going to kill him finally? ..No? Apparently he felt like sitting on the floor, he tracked them the entire time, refusing to look away for even a second..Why did he lie about peace? Beans never acted friendly towards borrowers..he knew that from the stories and first hand experience from his old friends..Was he fucking with him? Did he think he was that goddamned stupid? Anger briefly overrided fear, and Gordon found his voice, as he fought to get his legs underneath him once more.

"Are...are you fucking kidding me? Do I..do I look stupid to you? What did you do to me?"

Benry blinked in surprise..wow that voice did not match that size..It was clear even to him that they were upset and agitated..Guess the nap did not help his attitude..shit.

"I uh..I only moved you because I thought you sorta died in the kitchen behind our drawers..Sorry bout that? But uh..other than that no one did shit to you.."

Benry had the distinct feeling the little bro was not going to trust easily..he finally managed to stand up but everything about him just said anything but calm.

"We left you some food man..you might feel better after getting some food in you.."

"I am not eating that..Its probably poisoned or something..you just want me to drop my guard so you can kill me or dissect me for your sick amusement."

Benry couldn't hold back the snort of laughter hearing that..holy sit this guy was paranoid as fucking hell..Well he couldn't really blame him, life being that tiny must suck..

"Dude. It ain't poisoned or anything..why the hell would I let you sleep in my room and make food if I was just gonna off you the second you woke up? Kinda seems stupid if you ask me..If I was gonna off you bro you would of woke up dead."

"..you..fuck you, you cant wake up dead."

"You sure? It happened to me once. Woke up dead during exam week."

"Are...are you making fun of me??"  
Benry shrugged..having this little guy being angry seemed to work better than him fearing for his life over everything that moved.

Gordon was torn between just storming off and yelling at this bean more..who the hell did they think they were? Of course he was afraid! Who the fuck wouldn't be afraid in his situation??

"Bro if I eat some of the food would you please eat some? After that..I guess you can leave?"

Gordon stopped..he was..going to let him leave? Just like that? That was a fucking trap and he knew it. No bean he had heard of would just let someone like him leave, they were too greedy and cruel for that..

"..why would you let me leave? I know your kind wants to kill or use people like me for their own entertainment or for food.."

"..wait what? You think I'm gonna eat you?? What the fuck man..I dont even know your name and you're saying I'm gonna eat your ass..Its just apples and bacon dude holy fuck.."

Benry just stared at the tiny man accusing him of such weird shit.. hands up in defense he just let them talk.. Gordon was still skeptical..but his stomach had loudly began begging him for the food just inches away from him. A soft flush had begun working its way up Gordons neck and face..Benry couldn't help but stare..wow that was..really cute, like really really fucking cute..

"Fucking fine..You eat some of it..and I'll consider eating the food."

"Hell yeah bro..also you can call me Benry man..good to meet you."

"...The hell kinds bean name is Benry..?"

"Well what's your name then bro? ...did you just call me a bean?"

"Yeah, you're a bean..I'm a borrower I thought that was common knowledge..?"

"..bro that's fucking amazing..I'm gonna be a bean from now on. But what's your name then if Benrys a shit name?"

"Jesus christ..fine, like itll do you any good to know anyways...My name is Gordon Freeman."

"Damn, that's a fuckin name..that's a bean name bro I dig it."

Grinning a bit he moved to grab a bite of apple off the plate near Gordon, thinking things would be alright now that they were talking.

Unfortunately Benry did not think to give a warning..or move slowly enough to not scare the shit out of Gordon..Whatever the case may have been, the results were immediate. Gordon saw the hand reaching for him and all remaining reason went out the window. As soon as the hand got near he let out a panicked wail and stumbled backwards trying to avoid any contact with Benry what so ever.   
Benry to his credit noticed immediately that he had fucked up pretty badly and snatched his hand back as soon as Gordon wailed in fear. Only to try and move forward the second he noticed Gordon tumbling backwards off the desk with the scarf wrapped around his legs.

"Shit! Whoa bro stop wiggling hang on."

"No no noo! Get away dont touch me!!!"

"Gordon stop! I'm only trying to help!"

Benry had tried to gently tug the scarf away from the tiny heap on the floor, slightly glad to see Gordon was uninjured..But Gordon thrashed his way out and immediately got up to bolt for the doorway.

"Whoa bro slow down I just said I wasnt gonna hurt you..why you running?"

"You lied! "

He should of kept his eyes on the doorway or else he would of saw it cracking open as another bean appeared at all the noise. Gordon only had enough time to turn around just in time to bodily slam into their leg and fall flat on his ass.

"Hey Benry what's all the-oh! Shit are you alright? I didnt know you woke up already.."

Oh god today has gone to the worst in his short stupid life, not one but two of them were in the room and fully fucking aware of him. This one was fucking tall and gangly like some demonic tree..and they were leaning down to grab at him??

"Oh fuck, Tommy careful hes kinda freaking the fuck out."

"Oh god no please dont-! Nononononono-"

He was trapped now, it was all a lie to get him to drop his guard so they could torture him and kill him. This was not what he wanted to happen..he was possibly going to die for real now, between the two of them there was no hope of escape..He was so close to getting free only to have it, like everything in his life so far, snatched away. Gordon was at his breaking point and scooted back as Tommy grew closer, concern written on his face.

It only was a second but to Gordon time ground to a halt, both Benry and Tommy were reaching out to grab him, there was no escape and nowhere to hide..The only option he had left was to start crying. It was one of the worst options, but in this situation Gordon had no control over..not to mention he felt stupid every time it happened..which only made him cry all the harder out of embarrassment..Grown men dont cry, especially when in mortal danger..But stress from the last few weeks accompanied by everything seemingly going wrong for him had broken the damn holding those tears back. Two thick hot rivulets of tears poured from his face without stopping, and alongside them were soft sobs of fear coming from the distressed man quickly curling up in on himself as if just wanting to vanish from sight.

Both Benry and Tommy froze upon seeing Gordon burst into tears..Benry frowning deeply knowing he had likely been the starting point of the downwards spiral..He was only trying to help..but he fucked that up like most other things in life it seemed..Tommy felt horrible as well, he had barely said a word and just wanted to make sure the other was alright..this poor man must of been through alot to break down so quickly..  
Knowing how his own spirals went he immediately backed up and sat down in the far side of the hallway with the door fully open..

"Sunkist, I need your help with something.."

There was a brief moment before the sound of paw pads on wood flooring started up and Sunkist, his excellent therapy dog came in. She was the best at everything she did and took excellent care of him, and sometimes Benry when things got bad. Like the perfect dog she was she locked in on the tiny sobbing mess on the floor, as Tommy pulled his phone out to shoot Benry a few messages online. Between the two of them Tommy quickly got his name and what had happened in seconds..thank god th enet here was good.

"Mr. Freeman I'm very sorry for upsetting you like I did..My service dog Sunkist is good at handling anxiety and panic attacks..among other things related. She wants to help you out..if that's alright? If not we'll leave you alone until you feel safe again..okay?"

Tommy talked softly like others had always done to him when he was growing up and had attacks every so often..They didnt happen as much these days but when they did, Sunkist was always there to help him come back down calmly. Benry was her other charge when he had some attacks now and again too, she seemed more than happy to care for both of them. If she could help this person feel even remotely better then they could feel safe around the house maybe..?

Gordon could barely hear what anyone was saying to him..they were probably making fun of him like others had done in the past..He curled up in on himself expecting hands to grab and crush him or something heavy to just put him out of his misery..Instead something soft and warm settled itself down on his exposed side just close enough he could feel the soft fur tickling his arms..confused he risked looking up and saw their bigass dog..shielding him from them both?

"..wh? what...what are you doing?"

"Shes here to protect you from us..since were the problem here Mr. Freeman..if you want to leave she'll take you someplace you feel is safe..shes a very good dog."

"..shes gonna eat me..you..you sent your dog to kill me?"

Gordon's voice was soft and hoarse but Tommy was thankfully able to hear him and laughed softly.

"I understand you're afraid but she would never hurt someone she wants to help, shes never once bitten anyone. She wants you to feel better..and if that means getting you away from us then shell do that. I know how you're feeling right now..and I want you to feel safe Mr. Freeman.. even if you dont want to trust or touch her shell shield you until you get somewhere away from what's causing you distress.."

Why was he being so nice? Therapy dogs? He had never heard of such a thing before..but she wasnt moving a inch and neither human was moving near him..He had calm down enough to want to flee now..Maybe just this once..he was exhausted again and wanted to just leave..Hefting himself up using the dogs side as a support. Pausing a moment he moved to just fully haul himself up on the dogs back and laid flat before mumbling something to Sunkist.

After a moment the dog slowly got up and walked out of the room and somewhere else in the house with her new charge.  
Several moments passed before either Tommy or Benry moved or spoke..

"Dude..Benry you alright?"

"Yeah..its nothing bro..just thought I was doin good..and then it just blows up in my face...shit sucks.."

"Its okay man..we just gotta move slowly with this thing..he looks like he needs alot of help before trusting anyone.."

"I know man..but I feel like I just fucked up my chances.."

"Maybe..but just give it some time and hell come around..We should probably tell Coomer and Bubby so they dont scare the shit outta him more.."

"Yeah Bubby might try and set him on fire for one of his online class experiments.."

Benry gave a weak smile towards Tommy, which he returned with a soft kiss to the cheek before he got up to inform their energetic neighbors about this new tenant..Left alone in his room for the time being..Benry heaved out a long sigh and wiped his eyes with one hand..Shit..whyd he feel like ass all of a sudden? He didnt mean to cause this mess..Hed make sure to work hard and help Gordon feel safer here..

Meanwhile, Sunkist had followed Gordon's directions and walked over to the far side of the couch and settled down. For Gordon it was as safe as he could get for the time being..It was big enough he couldn't be grabbed..and with it pushed against the wall he had some means of protection if the others tried getting to him..Surprisingly enough she had settled down near the far side against the wall, effectively becoming her own natural barrier for him. After taking several minutes to calm himself down and stop sobbing into her fur he shifted to slide down and lay against her side.

He was too tired now to care if she would attack him, she had been a way to escape and his body had taken the chance before reasoning could catch up..But now that he had had a few minutes to regain composure..he was slowly growing worried she might harm him afterall..But..looking back up at Sunkist, she was laying down and looking anywhere but him.. She was shielding him but giving him his privacy..That was..actually kinda thoughtful?

That bean had said she was a therapy dog..maybe they had meant they help you feel better? He knee what therapy was thanks to late nights reading..he was just surprised dogs could do it. Laying there against the dog he felt like shit..but the soft fur and gentle breathing weirdly helped ground him after a time..it started to feel nice honestly.

Their fur was soft as could be and just warm enough to make him drowzy..He had already slept a good amount already but..he could sleep more and maybe get some safe food.  
The house had grown silent for the time being..and..Sunkist was it? She wasn't a threat to him it seemed..

"...good dog..I guess you're not as bad as I thought.."

Hed doze for a time being before getting to his safe spot to regroup properly and think of what to do next..But for now this was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i fucked up a little writing this but pretty much the ships are gonna be Tommy/Benry/Gordon at some point. Tommys Asexual and likes to show platonic affection alot of the time to those hes close with (which is why he kisses Benry alot, they date but nothin really happens and both are fine with that, they support each other healthily) Benrys bisexual in this but hasn't really found someone aside from Tommy that makes him feel comfortable..least till now. He's also NB as well but kinda leans towards male presenting?
> 
> if theres shit i need to work on with this please tell me, i appreciate crit :V  
> also Darnolds dating Forzen somewhere in here.


	3. Trust Exercises and Jerky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gordon meets more of the household and finally gets some TLC
> 
> ALSO WE GOT FUCKIN FANART!!!!  
> Go show these ppl some love honestly, I'll post more on here whenever it pops up but im sleepy and these three are the first that got saved.  
> https://novastar-art.tumblr.com/post/621203861973106688/drew-my-interpratation-of-borrowergordon-from
> 
> https://thecryptidcorvid.tumblr.com/post/621192109529186305/i-drew-borrowergordon-from-trickstercheebs-fic
> 
> and someone did some surprisingly good SFM modeling to give me this after I mentioned a certain someone is gonna show up. I
> 
> https://trickstercheebs.tumblr.com/post/624145152215285760/inspired-from-you-saying-there-would-be-a-borrower

Gordon woke up sometime much later..he wasn't entirely sure of the time but it was dark in the house when he finally decided it was time to fully wake up and do something with himself. Sunkist surprisingly had not moved much from her guarding spot nearby him, when she saw him stirring there was the softest of boots from her aimed at him. He was still hungry sadly, as the gnawing pains in his stomach were any indication.. pushing himself up he slowly tried walking to....wherever food might be. Looking over at Sunkist he had a thought..

"Hey...girl can you uh...maybe help me find something to eat?"

"....bwoof."

"...okay I'll take that as a yes? Lead the way then."

Sunkist scooted closer, waiting for Gordon to climb aboard..and once he was safely on she got up and wandered slowly to the kitchen towards the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen Gordon directed her towards the countertop and with some help, climbed up to look for something fast to grab before any of the others could come and find him. He managed to find some dried fruit and crackers..hardly a good filling meal but it was a start, sitting near the edge he ate what he could, borrower instincts making him store some of the fruit away for later, gods knew when he'd have a safe time alone to eat again knowing this place of hell and chaos.

Once he was full, he slid back down onto Sunkist's back and asked her to head back to the couch for more rest and consideration on what to do next with himself.

"I cant stay here....not when they all know I'm here now...sure...they let me get away last time but what about next time? They'll kill me...or worse."

Nestled into Sunkist's warm fur he debated on whether or not he should just leave while they all didn't expect it...But he was still so damned tired, even after sleeping so long...and the dried fruit wouldn't do much for him while he tried to find a new home. He'd need more stable food supplies and some other items before even thinking about leaving..Maybe they had something else he could take? He was always seeing Benry or Tommy bringing in groceries, there had to be something. Getting up he got Sunkist to lead him back into the kitchen and scrambled back up onto the counters to start searching in earnest. He didn't have the time or energy before so now he'd have to mentally map where everything was alongside finding something more hardy for his meal.

Digging through cabinets and drawer with practiced ease he only found junk foods alongside dry foods and cans of vegetables...none of which he could make use of in the moment, but at least he'd know ow where to go when he needed long term stable foods. He was about to give up entirely when he spied a rather thick looking glass jar filled with some odd looking sticks..it was the last thing aside from the fridge to check..And he was not going to risk getting trapped inside that cold death box..

"Alright..this had better be worth it or else I'll be forced to eat nothing but fruit and dry rice...And that is not a diet Gordon want"

Scaling up the side of the big jar took a few tries, but on the fourth time he managed to get to the top and force the lid open. The moment the seal was broken he was slammed by the rich and goddamned irresistible smell of meat. It must be jerky or something close to it, this was fucking perfect! It was exactly the sort of thing borrowers loved to get their hands on and here was a enormous jar of the stuff sitting unguarded. The smell made his stomach practically ache in hunger...maybe they got it homemade? Whoever it was had his thanks as he tried to snag a nearby piece to tear into.

Or would tear into if he could just get a hold of one piece. The pile of delicious meat was just a few scant inches away from his flailing tiny hands, like all things just sitting there and teasing him.

"Oh come the fuck on dude...Please just let me have this! Just this one little bit of food!!"

Huffing and complaining wouldn't help him...it was just a few more inches. Shifting a bit he situated his hips onto the edge of the rim and tried again to reach out for the food, using his thighs to try and keep himself anchored long enough to grab just one piece of jerky. He could feel the meat just brushing his fingertips, just a tiny bit more and he'd have his prize at long last.  
But just as he managed to pinch a morsel between two fingers...the nearby door slammed open, rattling everything in the house like a clap of thunder.

For Gordon however, as everything shook violently, he felt his legs slip as the jar shook just enough to knock him in.

Slamming face first into the pile of jerky, he was quick to turn himself right side up just in time to see who the hell was coming in. If it was Benry or Tommy....he'd likely have to swallow what pride he had left and ask to be released...He should of made more borrowing tools when he had the chance. If he got out of here alive that was going to the top of the list.

"Helloo!! Tommy? Benryyyy is anyone home? I'm back from my morning jog and wanted to see if either of you would accompany me for some good ol'yard wrestling!"

Oh god...it was one of the crazy old men from next door...this one was....Coomer right? He was darkly tanned and looked fairly fit for a older man. And he was the last person Gordon wanted to run into right now. Thankfully he was..sorta hidden by the cloudy glass of the jar, as long as Coomer didn't come anywhere near him he'd be fine...maybe..Alright at this point Gordon had no idea anymore, but thinking that was not going to help his panic go down.

"Hm..they must be out..Tommy's car keys are gone..fiddlefucks. And here I was looking forward to a good throw down with those boys. Though I do feel a bit peckish. Maybe some jerky to tide me over until lunch!"

"....oh you have got to be fucking kidding me....really?"

Gordon felt like someone upstairs was fucking putting him through the wringer. The one last thing he needed to happen and lo and behold...He was trapped and forced to watch Coomers growing shadow approach his prison and hiding spot.

"I do hope the boys don't mind me snagging a few, I'll just bring them some more later when the next batch gets finished drying!"

Dr. Coomer loomed over the small jar and dipped a hand inside to grab that one big looking piece near the far side of the jar. Gordon couldn't move away with how damn big the hand was reaching down for him, he wanted to scream and thrash away but once more he only freezes up as the hand closes around him and lifts him free of his prison.

"Hm..something seems odd about this jerky, I wonder-oh my!"

Dr. Coomer had opened his hand the moment he noticed the jerky felt....softer? Opening his hand he did not see jerky...but a small man who looked outright terrified staring back up at him.

"Goodness me you're not jerky at all! Oh dear...you look fit to faint. Here let me set you down young man."

It was honestly the shortest time he had been held by another bean as he felt himself being gently sat back down and watched almost numbly as Coomer moved away to grab a chair and sit down nearby.

"You must be the new guest Tommy frantically told me and Bubby about! I do apologize for likely scaring the fuck out of you like that, honestly I wanted to make my first impression towards you alot better...but beggars cant be choosers right?"

Gordon sat there listening to him...he was talking to him like they had known one another for months instead of seconds...it was a strange mix of calming and confusing if he was being honest with himself? His senses were slowly coming back to him as he listened to Coomer talk. Instead of the usual louder than hell volume he liked to talk at, he sounded so calm and quiet...it was honestly jarring a bit.

"Oh! Do forgive me for not introducing myself young man..I'm Dr. Harold Coomer! And who might you be my boy?"

Dr. Coomer knows his name thanks in part to Tommy but it's always in good manners to ask them yourself. The tiny human before him looks petrified, well he does strike a intimidating figure most likely but he does try to tone it back when meeting new friends, especially such tiny and darling ones at that.

"....m....my name is G-Gordon. Gordon Freeman..?"

"Well! It is a fine pleasure to meet you Gordon, or do you prefer Mr. Freeman? Most feel fine with calling me Dr. Coomer, only Bubby calls me Harold...and that's when I'm in trouble!"

Dr. Coomer had situated himself to sit at basic eye level with him, smiling gently as he waited for him to respond. It was jarring being suddenly focused on by one of the beans like this...twice in the span of two days...he shouldn't talk or even be here....but something occurred to him..he might be able to use Coomer to get the jerky? It sounded mean in his own head but he did not want to get trapped again being stupid.

"Uh...G‐Gordon's fine yeah...H-How are you not...finding this weird?"

Great...he hated asking why beans did or did not freak the fuck out when seeing him, but he was curious...he said Tommy said something about him to the others?

"Well dear Tommy told me all about you and your situation! He looked dreadfully somber over it all. I suppose he was upset over something that occurred between you two?"

...He didn't want to think back to yesterday but it was likely that. He was...sort of surprised Tommy told others about him, was he supposed to feel upset or relieved he might not have to tread lightly before escaping?

"I...don't entirely do well....meeting your kind? At least not in big numbers anyways... None of you were ever supposed to know about me or even see me...But I fucked it all up and...and now here I am."

"Well it makes sense a borrower would not handle meeting humans as rambunctious as our little group very well Gordon. Though I'm delighted to see your kind once more!"

"Wait....wait once more? You mean you've met my kind before? Wh-when??"

Gordon perked up hearing Dr. Coomer so casually mention meeting a borrower before...he looked up a bit more interested at the older bean.

"Oh well of course I have! You don't get to be my age and not see some interesting things in your life. I can tell you more but, do you mind if I grab a bite of jerky? I trust you might want some for yourself Gordon?"

"Uh...y-yeah...I was trying to grab some myself when....when you came in."

"Well damn that was on me then. It is very high quality meat so I can't blame you for wanting some, it's a secret family recipe passed down through the generations to yours truly! Since you seem fairly hungry I'll give you three pieces then!"

"R-really? Thank you sir...I..I didn't...uh thank you.."

"No I must be thanking you for indulging a old man in conversation when you'd much rather be elsewhere, but that's alright! I know quite well that I cut quite the imposing figure. Now hang on tight for a second Gordon, I'm going to move and grab us some jerky alright?"

"Oh...okay, thank you."

Gordon scooted over to the side as Dr. Coomer made to get up and very slowly made his way to the jar, smiling happily the whole time, Gordon felt....strangely calm? Dr. Coomer said he met and knew borrowers before him...judging by his actions now maybe he became friends with them? It was hard picturing such a jovial sounding man being malicious...After being handed his three big pieces of jerky, Gordon could practically weep with joy, he had been wanting some actual food for ages now...and now he had at least a few days worth thanks in part to this man.

"If you would like Gordon, I can bring some just for you as well! Since you're living with us for however long you feel comfortable, I'd like to make your stay with us worthwhile! I know staying on your own is a daunting and all, and it's even more so for a lone borrower."

"You...you seem to know so much about my kind..and you said that you knew a borrower before me? Can I ask about them?"

"Of course! It was way back when I was likely younger than you when I met him. I had gotten home earlier than expected when I found him in my room reading one of my books. Well I can safely say we were both scared of one another and I accidentally knocked myself out trying to get out. When I woke up he was still there trying to see if he had accidentally killed me...After that we got to talking and hit it off remarkably well!"

Gordon ate as he listened to Dr. Coomer talk about his past...it seemed he was just as kind as he was now as he was then..Whoever the borrower was they were lucky...

"And when I arrived at the college we went our separate ways..I still saw him from time to time and we both remained friends until I graduated! I still believe he might be there still actually. Though sadly I haven't seen him in years....I do hope hes alright."

"O-oh...maybe I've seen him? What was his name?"

"Oh! It was Kliener! A rather soft spoken man but given his size I suppose that's a good thing to be."

"Oh! I know him yeah, he teaches the young children borrowers."

"Oh hes a teacher as well? That's wonderful news to hear! I'm glad hes still around and helping the younger generation survive...I'd ask you to say hello for me but.. I'd wager that wont be happening..."

Gordon's small smile fell as he remembered why he was even here to begin with...he'd never see Kliener or any of his other friends again. Dr. Coomer seemed to sense his misstep and huffed softly to himself.

"Ah...My apologies Gordon, seems I've brought up some bad memories...that wasn't my intention. Perhaps one day you may see him and others again? Not everything is set in stone."

"....Maybe, I can only hope at least..thank you though Dr. Coomer...I can see why he'd call you a friend....he did mention a good friend of his being a very chaotic but charismatic individual....I think now looking back on it he might of been referring to you."

"Oh he would say that...him and Bubby would of gotten along famously if it were to talk about me getting into nonsense."

"Bubby?"

"Oh! Hes my husband, a darling and quite the spitfire when he wants to be. I think you two would get alone famously....And that reminds me I should likely go check in on him and make sure he didnt set the table on fire again out of boredom."

Gordon felt a bit of relief wash over him at the conversation ending...he could only handle talkin to beans for so long before his nerves gave out on him. Coomer seemed to understand his predicament fairly well, which surprised him to no end...

"Do you need help getting down or would you rather get down by your own devices Gordon? Oh and do you have enough jerky? I can give you another strip or two for the road."

"O-oh..yeah I can get down just fine..thank you Dr. Coomer.....and yes? It's really good jerky..best I've had at all."

"Oh thank you! It's a family recipe I've modified over the years to perfection! You can take as much as you need, you look positively famished."

Dr. Coomer took out two more large strips and set them where Gordon could grab them before offering a smile and leaving to check in on his husband. Gordon waited until he heard the far door connecting the two houses click shut before letting out a long held in breath...Strangely enough that encounter...didn't leave him entirely shaken? He might like Dr. Coomer....it might be the food talking but he seemed really nice. Putting the new stash of food away he made his slow decent back down to the floor and with Sunkist nearby to shepard him safely, headed back to the couch to rest a bit more... It felt silly doing nothing bit eating and sleeping, but he hadn't done much of either in days it felt like his body refused to do much else until it had what it wanted.

Full of decent food however, Gordon was hard pressed to deny the siren call of sleep. So he scooted to the far protected end of the couch and got comfortable for a nap. If he kept this up, he might be back to his old self in no time...and maybe then he could think about leaving. The idea of being safe once more brought a small sad smile to his face as he drifted off to sleep.

\----

"Are you paying attention? No of course you're not...you got that look on your face again."

Barney snapped out of his daydreams to shoot a look back at the older borrower shaking his head in his direction. Sighing some he moved to join them in gathering the parts they had set out to get.

"I was just thinkin bout...things was all doc. I was payin attention honestly."

"Sure you were Barney and the sky's naturally lemon yellow. You were thinking about Gordon again weren't you?"

"Wh? Now who said I was...I was just...Alright maybe...what gave me away Doc?"

"Honestly Barney a blind borrower could tell from a mile away...Whenever you think about him you get this....this look about you that reminds me of a lost puppy."

"Hey! I do not look like a damn lost puppy.. You take that back Kliener!"

"If it weren't true you wouldn't be fussing so much over it. It's no use fawning over him now, after what happened, him getting kicked out of the colony was the best result he could get."

"Yeah, I call gettin booted out on your ass and forced to fend for yourself a real fuckin kindness...He wont last two weeks out there alone, no one has."

"You dont know that...There are plenty of borrower nomads that survived alone. And Gordon's as smart as they come, hell figure something out and stay alive."

"Doc I think you got sheer dumb luck and brains mixed up. Gordon's smart sure, but he stubborn and attracts trouble like flies to honey..You've seen him Kliener! He ain't gonna last two weeks without someone helping him!"

"Look Barney I know you're worried sick about him....but what happened, happened Barney. The council made their choice and we all have to live by it. Just because you have unresolved issues with him you just-"

"It ain't fuckin unresolved! I just...I'm worried bout him alright? Winters comin in and they barely gave him a chance before getting booted out on his ass."

"I know I know...But what can we do about it now? It's been what...a month now? Whatever could happen to him most likely already has. We just have to hope whatever has happened is something good."

"Uugh.....I know Doc...I just...I just wanna know hes alright, you know?"

"Dont we all...I can only hope some good fortune came his way. But for now stop pining and help me carry these damned parts back home. Just because no one here's to see us means you can slack off and make a old borrower do all the work alone."

"I am NOT pinin Doc! Stop laughin at me alright? C'mon Doc that ain't funny!!"

Barney tried to ignore the flush creeping up his face as he ran to catch up with the older gentleman laughing merrily.

\-----  
Gordon woke up with a harsh sneeze, the ticklish sensation pulling him from sleep rather abruptly.

"Wuh-? ...mnh. Damn dust. What time is it?"

He couldn't quite go back to sleep after being so suddenly woken up, so with a stretch he pushed himself up with a grimace hearing several loud pops go off from his joints. Sleeping under such a dirty couch was not the most ideal spot...he was filthy thanks to so much nonsense from before. He had no spare clothes on him, part of him wishing his past self had bothered packing up anything else aside from a few scant tools and things...But in the heat of the moment nothing else seemed to matter.(edited)

If he knew where he would of ended up he would of taken more precautions....but hindsight was 20/20 and what happened couldn't be undone at this point no matter how much he wished it would.

"...what I wouldn't do for a shower..or anything to get this dirt off me..."

Peeking out from under the couch he saw no one moving about thankfully. Figuring he could try and sneak back into the kitchen and rinse himself off in the sink..the clothes situation might have to come later however, he didn't have any of his sewing supplies on hand.

"Damn..maybe I can just cobble something together from scraps...don't want to keep looking like some dirty ass hobo the rest of my life..."

As he wondered where he could even begin to gather materials he stopped in the doorway leading into the kitchen when he noticed the light was on, and someone was moving about inside. Judging by the lighter footfalls and soft humming it was Tommy inside doing something...Gordon let himself relax a smidgen but he figured he'd come back later when Tommy had left.

"Oh uh..G-Good morning Mr. Freeman, did you sleep well?"

Shit...or he could be forced to interact with more beans again today, well honestly Dr. Coomer wasn't all bad? Just....really fucking intense, Tommy he wasn't sure of, but he found it kinda nice he was referred to by him as Mr. Freeman....shit he should stop spacing the fuck out.

"H..hi...uh...T-Tommy right? I uh...slept well yeah.."

Tommy could tell he was still anxious...who could blame him? He probably looked like a monolith to the tiny man, he was a head or two taller than Benry easily but that wasn't shit compared to Gordon down there... He wanted to help him feel better after their initial meeting....that could of gone a load better.

"Sorry...am I making you nervous? I can leave if you want Mr. Freeman if I'm in your way or something like that. I was just getting a small snack before heading to my room to finish a assignment... Oh! And Benry's out till 10pm with friends so you can roam freely until then."

"Wh...what? Why....why are you telling me all this?"

"Well...I figured it'd help you out alot if you knew what we were both doing? And I-I wanted to apologize again for uh....for uh fucking scaring the ever loving shit out of you the last time we met. So I wanted to help you make life maybe a bit easier? If there's like...maybe anything you need help with or want to do I'll help however I can Mr. Freeman, only-only if you want me to that is!"

Gordon stood there looking at the bean with a hard mix of sheer confusion and alarm, was this actually happening? No there's no fucking way some bean would want to do something that suited his needs....this had to be a trap right?

But...he had watched Tommy for a while before this whole stupid debacle happened. Tommy was always nice to everyone around him, the teachers, other students and complete strangers....Hell he even greeted and knew the janitorial staff by name!! Not even he knew their fucking names and he grew up in that building practically....So...maybe this might not be a trap..?

"No..? I mean....I don't know...I was just..trying to maybe come in here to clean myself up? I haven't showered since.....well since I got here which was...maybe two or so weeks ago? I can't even remember when that was. Goddamnit..."

Tommy frowned....he didn't exactly know how or when Gordon came here but he was fairly sure they would of seen him ages ago if he was living here prior to two weeks ago? So...maybe he came here via some odd circumstances? He wanted to know more about their new roommate but...first things were first.

"Were you going to clean up in the sink? ...If you want you're more than welcomed to use the bathroom like me and Benry do...I can-I can help set it up so you can take a bath in privacy with some proper soaps and shampoos...Because showering in the sink kinda sounds sucky and cold...Maybe if I uh..maybe if I can rig it up right you can take a warm shower in the tub instead, hot water sounds alot better for you right now....If you want I can get started on that for you Mr. Gordon."

"....I...I mean maybe? O-okay..? I don't get why you want to help me so much...Aren't you upset or angry I'm here? Or...wanting to experiment on me? You are a scientist right? I just don't...why are you being so nice? Is this like some fucking trap??"

Tommy frowned a bit harder at that...well shit, he hadn't encountered this problem before. But then again he never encountered someone like Gordon to begin with. Being that small must come with a grocery list of problems and dangers..He'd have to address it somehow, for the moment though he opted to sit on the ground in the kitchen, making Gordon jump slightly before calming down, apparently being closer to eye level was a good start. Tommy quietly wishing he took more than one fucking class in psychology...but that was neither here nor there at this point.

"I'm sorry if me wanting to help you out is alarming....I feel bad for scaring you so much, you're living here with us in probably a constant state of fear and alarm...Which uh...which isn't really fucking cool honestly for us to do to you.. Just because you're a bit smaller than me doesn't mean you're not a living being too Mr. Freeman, you're entitled to the same things me and Benry are...I want to be friends with you, but that's only if you w-want to! I won't force you to do anything you don't want, that's not fair or kind at-at all, in fact that's kinda dickish and cruel."

Everything felt so damn surreal right now to poor Gordon...he had been told and saw time and time again that beans would be nothing but careless and cruel to his kind, and that any kindness shown would result in his immediate and painful death. But...here one was asking to help him, even putting him on even ground with himself and Benry in terms of needs and rights...Not to mention Dr. Coomer knowing the name of a borrower that practically helped raised him very fondly...

Maybe...just this once he could take Tommy at face value and accept some help? An actual warm bath sounded fucking divine honestly right about now, and with actual soap and shampoo....Fuck it, maybe just this once yeah. Going against his ingrained teachings and life experiences might suck but..maybe it'll pay off in the end.

"....O-okay....okay yeah.. I'd....I'd love a bath honestly.. It's been so long and I feel fucking filthy with these clothes on right now...I don't have anything else but...I can start with that, yeah...Th-thank you Tommy. A-and you can just call me Gordon?"

At that Tommy smiled softly, small steps were still steps afterall! And trust was gained through such things. Gordon seemed to be willing so, maybe he can be friends with him yet! Benry would be happy to hear the good news honestly...he had been feeling like utter shit after they all gave the poor tiny man the scare of a lifetime..

"Alright, that's...that's good! It's nice to formally and like really meet you Gordon, you can call me Tommy. Now uh...I'm gonna get up here in a second and get started on that bath for you, if you wanna move to a safer spot until I get past that's fine, I'll give you a minute or two to get clear of the doorway so I don't do something stupid to scare you, alright?"

"O-oh...that's...alright yeah. Glad...glad to meet you too Tommy..And, no I can stay here, you can move now if you want? Just...just go slowly...please?"

"Sure thing Mr-I mean Gordon..I'm gonna get up now okay? I'll let you know when I'm gonna move for the doorway....If I start moving too fast for you, you can like tell me to fuckin stop any time okay?"

"Alright...uh th-thank you again..."

Tommy moved slowly once he got to his feet, keeping his eyes on Gordon as he made his way towards the bathroom. Surprisingly Gordon stayed his ground right until Tommy was a step away before scooting back towards the couch, or at least enough to give him room enough to scoot by without bumping into the smaller man on accident.

The bathroom itself was decently clean, Tommy saw to that half the time...the only problem was figuring out a way to let Gordon get in and out of the bathtub without incident or needing help...No one wanted to be grabbed while tiny and naked..that fucking much he knew. After a few moments of debating he figured out a solution and got to work setting the rest of the items he figured Gordon would need up in the tub and got the water running to a nice and warm temp, not hot enough to burn but hot enough to be comfortable.

With that done he exited the bathroom and moved back towards the kitchen where Gordon stood waiting nervously.

"Okay I got everything set up, I'll let you go in so I can pull the door too so you'll have some privacy... Do you want me to wait outside so you dont get disturbed any? You can take as long as you want too, the water heaters good so you can take a long hot shower."

"Oh..uh..thank you Tommy....and maybe? I don't want to hold you up with your own shit if you really need to work or something..."

"It's fine, if you want me to leave you can tell me to and I'll just have Sunkist stand guard for me, and she can come get me if there' a problem. You wanna do that instead?"

"....If...if that's alright? I'm...trying not to freak out but, it's kinda...?"

"I understand Gordon..I don't wanna overwhelm you by forcing you to continue interactions or things you don't feel comfortable doing... Me and Benry get the same way alot of the time when we go to new places or large crowds.. That's why I have Sunkist and shit...I'll tell you what, you can use the same code word me and Benry set up. The code word or phrase is used whenever you wanna leave or get away from a situation, no questions asked. Benry uses it when he gets overstimulated and overwhelmed and wants to leave and head home. For both of us the code word is Applesauce. You can use Applesauce too whenever me or anyone else in the house is making you nervous okay?"

"Applesauce?"

"Yeah, it's a basic but very little used word so no one asks many questions about it if they don't know. Like Benry might say he needs applesauce badly and I'll know he wants to go home. You can use it just by saying applesauce to either of us, even Bubby and Coomer know the code word and what it means. Just use it when you feel like you need to and we'll all do what we can to let you get away to a safe spot."

Gordon felt like he could drop dead from shock....this bean...hell maybe all of them were...so strangely considerate and kind?? It was hard as hell to wrap his mind around but...maybe this place wasn't such a hell hole after all?

"No..its fine you can stay...I wanna...I wanna trust you, or try trusting you Tommy...Thank you for helping me out with this....I'm gonna...gonna take that shower now."

"Okay! I'll be right here then, enjoy your shower Gordon."

With that Gordon made his way into the bathroom and let out a sigh of relief once he was out of earshot of Tommy. The steam rolling from behind the curtain called to him like a siren song and he quickly found himself scaling the makeshift ladder Tommy had made for him and got to taking that well needed shower. He scrubbed himself down thoroughly and relished the clean feeling he now felt. Gordon even tried using the left over soap to scrub out his clothing, slightly happy some of the stains came out at last.

While Gordon washed up, Tommy was on his phone trying to find something along the lines of small clothing and the like. Small steps and small victories after all. Maybe with this small act of kindness they can all start to call one another friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for bein so patient with me with the updating schedule and all, life and three fics at once is a hassle but im tryin my best to wrangle it however I can
> 
> If you wanna send me fan art or just say hello my tumblr is trickstercheebs and most of the time I'm usually online and asks are open, feel free to come say hi or something :V


	4. And Now For Something A Little Different.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Congrats you've unlocked a side story.
> 
> and i have no fucking control of my life anymore so take this and pray for my sanity. I know it's fairly short but I needed to get this on paper before the urge left me.

The school had been in something of a tizzy the last day or so, well it wasn't as bad as exam week surely but the air was definitely charged with a tension that made him nervous. Did something happen outside of campus grounds that he didn't know of? The other groups were certainly worried and looking into the news to see what had happened in the world, news that the campus was going into lockdown for a... "quarantine" was making everyone scramble to find information out alongside gathering emergency supplies. Darnold for his part, tried to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that something bad was going on. No one threw the damn term quarantine around these days without a good reason for it. The older borrowers were freaking out and calling for everyone to gather any and all supplies they had before the beans locked everything down, he hated using that term..why not just call them humans..? Humans were humans, and borrowers were borrowers..he felt so stupid just calling them beans all the time. He was a borrower of science, of mixology and enhancement, he would call them what they were.

"Wait no...shit I gotta focus..focus Darnold, you don't need to slip again getting upset over stupid things..."

Darnold was of course in his favorite spot in the campus, the cafeteria...or more importantly the soda fountain. He had broken the old one a while back and forced the campus to get this brand new one, sure he had gotten in major trouble for it but it was definitely worthwhile. The new machine was able to mix and match multitudes of soda with a touch screen even! His research had skyrocketed after that, and the leaders had backed off when he gave them what they wanted and then some. All they ever wanted was the same thing, he could make surplus in advance and keep them off his back so he could pursue his true reason for research and delving into science with abandon, he wanted to create the perfect soda.

Sure most brushed the idea off as a stupid childish thought, but not even humans have perfected such a thing. They laid down the groundwork and for that he'd thank them for the wide array of sodas and flavors, humans were very imaginative when they wanted to be. But none of them have buckled down and crafted something that everyone without fail would love. Borrower or not he'd be that man to make a soda that'd make God weep with joy......okay so it sounded a bit grandiose wording it like that but what else was he supposed to do with his talent? Enhancement meant alot of things, and frankly he got tired of making healing potions and other tonics the others demanded out of him.

He was a man of science and possibly magic, and sure he didn't mind helping out but he was allowed to pursue his own hobbies right? He had studied for years the chemical compounds in most foods and figured out how to enhance certain aspects of them for different results. His talents needed a delicate hand and a curiosity to see what would happen, he was a damn good scientist if he said so himself....He was sure the other human scientists would agree, that was if he ever got the balls to talk to one himself.

Humans were off limits of course, it was the most enforced cardinal rule he knew of, anyone found breaking it or got caught consorting with humans was immediately banished on the spot. He had heard of one guy getting caught last week after setting off a massive explosion in one of the labs....Gerkin? He didn't know them personally but they had been kicked out two days later by the entire colony... He felt bad for the guy honestly, he understood the siren call of science better than anyone. He hoped whoever it was that they were doing alright, it wasn't fun to think of the other thing that could of happened to them... Wait fuck he was getting distracted again, dangit he needed to stop daydreaming and get what he came for. If his colleagues saw him daydreaming this much they'd tattle on him to the others.

"Focus Darnold, jeeze I got my head in the clouds today...I gotta get my soda before they turn the machines off...If I don't then I'll be in trouble, my research would grow stale! And I definitely cannot have that. No mixologist would work with stale ingredients."

Darnold finished his walk over towards the soda machine, thankful the little walkways he installed a few years ago still held firm even now. Hefting his backpack he lowered his tools down first onto the drink holder. Once that was settled he moved with practiced ease to get everything else into place.

Touch screens were handy in this day and age, it made gathering his ingredients so much easier. But what made it moreso was that the installer left the instruction manual out for just anyone to read over. It took him a full night of reading and taking notes to understand how the machine worked and what all he needed to do. The inner mechanisms were all aligned and color coded to each brand of soda syrup. It reminded him faintly of a massive rainbow pipe organ whenever he looked at it.

Carbonated water he could get any time, what he needed for his research was the syrups hidden in the machine where he was now. It was cramped even for someone his size, but he made it work regardless. All the classic favorites were here along with a multitude of new flavors both fruity and otherwise.  
Shifting about he pulled out his gear and quickly began gathering the syrups he needed restocking on. Coke and Dr. Pepper were always good to have on hand, along with several varieties of Sunkist because he had been feeling in a fruity mood the last week honestly. He had been considering some of the diet syrups when a loud noise outside caused him to go still, shit were there still some humans running about on campus? He'd be safe in here until they left, but even still his curiosity got the better of him and he shifted himself just enough to be able to hear whoever was in the cafeteria.

"Dude are you sure we're allowed in here? Campus Security's gonna be fuckin pissed if they catch us here, specially after that whole thing about the quarantine lockdown."

"Bro like..fuckin chill its all good. Security's off doin patrols and shit near the science labs right now....so we're like fuckin golden here man. Let's get the shit and bail okay? We're like on the clock."

"Fuck alright alright dude...we just grabbin a few things from the cafeteria right?"

"Yeah bro, we're not like..fully ransackin the whole damn place, just like some canned goods they won't miss. Calm your medical tits bro, it's all a good chill."

"Don't talk about my tits freakin out bro, my parents would skin me if they found out I'm stealing from campus..."

"Well let's get to it and they won't like...have to know a fuckin thing. Or else you can take tips from your spookyass roomie on how to disappear from society and live like a pro hermit."

"....fuck I should see if he's still alive or something when we're done."

There were footsteps coming closer..and then fading once a door was pushed open, Darnold knew they were going to the dry storage because that door was always squeaky as hell no matter what. So students were stealing goods from the campus this late in the night? Something very bad must be going on in the world if students were resorting to theft... He'd just wait in here where he was safe from being seen.

Several minutes later and a few distant cackles and curses were heard as the two voices came back his way, Darnold was thankful they finally got done with their nonsense, his legs were cramping up badly sitting in this weird position for so long..

"Hang on dude, lemme just get this one last thing before we bail okay?"

"What, you gonna kiss the soda machine goodbye? Give it a..give it a big ol smoocharoo??"

"....yes. Fuck you man I just want something to drink before we head out, they dont sell the shit anywhere else and you know I love me some vanilla orange."

"Bro I get you..get your mad soda fix on, but I'll be waitin outside alright? Don't make out with it long or security'll come kinkshame you."

"Dude! It is not like that damn...get your gamerfuel ass outside jesus."

That same unnerving cackle sounded off before fading finally out of the room, but Darnold was anything but relaxed...The other human was right outside his hiding spot wanting a drink... The machine was still on and very much functional, but he had never been in it while someone used it. It was safe to say he was very much scared of something happening in the next few seconds.

"Fuckin...Benry doesn't know shit...I'm not making out with a soda machine....rude."

Forzen fished his water bottle out from the overfilled gym bag he had carried with him, full of canned goods and a few meat products that could be sorted out later. Benry had woken him up at the worst time wanting to do a late night raid. He wasn't one for stealing but the school certainly wasn't going to miss any of it if they weren't even fuckin running anymore until the quarantine lifted. Least that's what he told himself as the two of them grabbed several cans of food and the like. Most of it was scheduled to go out of date in the next few months so, if they didn't use it it'd all just likely be trashed by staff.  
Turning to the machine before him he quickly selected his favorite drink from it, sure Dr. Pepper and Coke were fine..but he liked trying new things and really honestly loved how creamy the orange vanilla soda tasted. Benry gave him shit despite seemingly living off of monster and mountain dew like the demonic gamer he was. Least he drank water once in a while..tea too whenever Adrian showed up with some weird brew he got from....fuck he could only guess. He had started drinking it to no piss his cryptid of a roommate off, but sometimes he honestly did bring in some good drinks. He never asked where they came from, mostly because Adrian was gone by the time he finished the shit.

The machine was making a weird noise, like something was caught in it? Shit of course the one time he wanted it the machine was going to throw a fit at him. Raising a fist he slammed it onto the side of the machine, hearing something come loose and thunk inside the machine.. Forzen spun around to make sure security wasn't going to kick the doors in on him for that...After a moment of nothing moving or happening he let out the breath he had been holding.

"Jesus fuck...dude that was way too stressful..I need to get the fuck outta here..."

Turning back around he was happy to see that the machine was working perfectly...he supposed it just needed a little hard TLC to get it in the mood to share. Filling up his water bottle to the brim he tossed it into the bag and zipped it up before dashing outside to rejoin Benry, who was waiting in the shadows like always...Both him and Adrian had that weird blending ability down to a fuckin science....it was kinda creepy. He needed to meet less creepy fucks at some point. Least he had Tommy, who was dating Benry, but he didn't care. The dude was like a literal ray of sunshine and a polar opposite of Benry sometimes. They got along fine, they both loved to talk about beyblades and various animes, Benry joining in with his own take on the matter sometimes. It was all fun, hopefully they could all meet up during the quarantine sometime..it'd suck just sitting in his apartment alone.

Darnold was in big fucking trouble, like the worst possible outcome leading to possible death trouble. He had gotten stuck when the machine had tried to shift and dispense the syrup for the others drink and as a result cause the human waiting outside to slam a fist into the exact spot he was stuck in. Physics and numb legs had taken over, causing him to tumble out with a muffled grunt of pain, only his momentum didn't stop at the base where the water bottle waited, he bounced out and into a painful pile of metal and cloth. The impact jarred him severely, making everything go white with pain for a brief moment, but that was what it took for his fate to be sealed. The human dropped a filled water bottle nearby and the world went dark with the sound of a zipper... He was trapped.

"Oh no...oh no no this can't be happening....oh dear. I don't have any of my tools for escape..just my ingredients...fuck.."

"Bout time Forzen...you finished up saying goodbye to your soda waifu? Security's on its....its like fuckin comin, so we like.....gotta, gotta fuckin make tracks."

"Yeah yeah I know, see ya soon on discord bro, don't fuckin die on me or get kidnapped. Tell Tommy and Sunkist I said hey."

"You got it bro, hope your bro slenderman comes by to check in on you, would like...like totally suck ass if he fuckin died."

"I'll tell him you send your love."

"Fuck yeah, give a kiss for the homies bro...seeya though Forzen."

"See ya Benry!"

The two made their separate ways home, Forzen taking the well memorized back route to his shitty apartment just off campus. He was lucky some of the lights were blown out, fucking maintenance never got around to replacing them anyways, but he knew the route like it was second nature by now. Fishing his house keys out he slipped back inside and locked the door behind him. Only when he shucked his boots off did he finally allow himself to relax.

"Jesus christ...never thought I'd go to college to learn stealing...bet mom and dad would be proud knowing their medical prodigy could pick locks...Fuck I'm tired."

Setting the goods near his bed he shrugged his clothes off and slipped back into his sleepwear with a happy sigh. Least now he could get some more sleep. He fished his phone out of his pants and sent a message to Benry over discord letting him know he was safely home.. He also sent one to his roommate, Adrian, just to see if the fucker was alive at all still. The only reply he got back in return was a small thumbs up followed by "Return to base soon as mission is complete." The guy took the military meme shit too seriously sometimes...but he wasn't entirely bad, so Forzen let it slide.

Darnold was frozen with fear, he had no fucking idea where he was, let alone if he could escape without being spotted. None of the tools he had on hand were for cutting thick fabric or anything like that...he was a delicate worker, not the rough and tumble sort the others were always like when going out to forage... He was scared shitless, he'd be found and killed, or experimented on even!! The human who had captured him was still moving about above him...likely clearing a space off for him to be dissected...

"No...I don't wanna go out like this...this isn't fair...I had so much left to do and experiments to run....And none of the others know I was even out tonight....I'm so fucking stupid..damnit.."

Darnold shook with silent tears, when he was younger he wanted to go on adventures like the more daring borrowers..But that stupid dream had been torn out of him thanks to reality crashing down when he nearly saw someone get crushed underfoot of a clueless human...After that he was too scared to venture anywhere he wasn't absolutely sure was safe....He had gotten foolishly comfortable and this was his reward, kidnapped and bruised in some humans home, seconds from death most likely.

Forzen turned the lights off as he moved to settle into bed, the few working lights outside his bedroom window cast a hazy orange glow about the room, making it feel surreal to his tired eyes as he sat down at the edge of the bed. He'd sort the fuckin canned goods out tomorrow, right now sleep called to him and he was badly wanting to answer it.(edited)

Shuffling back under the covers he hummed softly as sleep claimed him easily, soon the apartment was silent aside from the soft white noise hum of the ac unit and Forzens own light snoring. Darnold had finally stopped crying when nothing happened for a good possible two hours...and frankly crying can only accomplish so much. It did help him feel a smidge bit better about his current predicament, but it didn't help him get out of it entirely. That he'd have to figure out on his own unfortunately. At least the human that had captured him was asleep, he could try and get out from his prison and get the hell out of dangers grasp.

Huffing to himself he pushed and shoved his way to the top of the bag, sitting atop the cold water bottle that started this whole mess in the first place. At least the cold would help him focus for a few minutes. The fabric was too thin to claw through, whoever this human was, they got the more high quality fabric items...much to Darnolds dismay. Maybe if he found where the zipper started or ended he could force it open and scramble out that way?

Fumbling about in the near dark proved to be hell, the only light Darnold was given was from the soft amber gold from his own eyes...and that wasn't helping out much sadly. Shuffling about he shoved the water bottle aside and tried to follow the zipper trail one way and hoped it was the right course of action.

Forzen woke up with a cough or two, his throat dry as hell from snoring most likely....He was thirsty as hell and his groggy as hell mind reminded him of the soda sitting a few feet away in the bag....fuck yes.

Shuffling a bit to the edge of the bed, Forzen draped a arm out into the cold air and fumbled a bit to unzip his bag and grabbed at the first thing his sleep addled brain equated as his water bottle. It felt a bit warm sadly but Forzen didn't mind, soda was soda and he was thirsty as hell. Shrugging off some of the blankets he yawned and moved to bring the bottle close enough to undo the lid and get some of that liquid goodness into him.

Darnold froze as he heard movement somewhere above him and nearly let out a scream when the zipper mere inches from his hands was pulled loose and a large hand came into view to latch onto him immediately. He struggled in vain against his much much stronger captor as he was effortlessly lifted from his dark prison towards the bed.  
He could easily see the human holding him hostage now, they looked exhausted, hair eschewed every which way, but he wasn't able to focus on anything else as the human unhinged their jaw as he brought him closer...oh fucking christ he was going to bite his head off??? He had heard horror stories of that kind of thing, but never in his short little life did he think they were anything but stories!! Gripping the hand he was held firmly in he began to cry anew, and much harder now as he saw his demise standing firmly in front of him.

Forzen finished yawning and propped himself up on one elbow, not wanting to be a sleepy dumbass and spill the shit all over himself like last time he cracked a eye open at last to try and pop the lid only to stop dead at the sight before him....That really was not his fuckin water bottle...but a little dude? The small darker skinned man was quietly crying up a storm in his hands....that wasn't good..

"whoa....you're not a fuckin water bottle..Aw fuck are you okay lil dude? You're kinda sobbin up a storm there...."

Darnold wanted to scream, something, hell anything would be fine instead of freezing up while this damn human stared him down..Wasn't he just going to kill him now? Apparently not as he felt his feet find semi solid ground suddenly.

"wh?"

"Fuck bro....you're like...super fucking mini... How the fuck are you like that? ...Do you know where my water bottle is lil bro?"

"wh-what? Are...are you t-talking to me?"

"yeah...? I'm kinda thirsty...just want to get a sip then sleep a bit more....are you real? Cause...cause sometimes I get weird shit going on brain wise and I can't tell sometimes....You gotta be honest okay?"

"....It's still in your bag? And...and yeah I'm real, I just wanna leave and go home..."

"where's that..? Are you some sorta lost fairy...? Shit did I hurt you or something bro? I'm sorry..."

Darnold could not believe the shit that was happening right now....This human was talking to him like he knew him for years...and he was not a fairy! He was a borrower damn it! He huffed a bit and watched the human sluggishly find his water bottle at last and get the drink he had been yearning for apparently this whole time.

"Found it...niiice.."

"I'm..fine if that's what you're asking...are you going to kill me or something?"

"...why would I do something that fucked up lil bro? Seems kinda shitty...kinda...lameass."

This tiny guy sounded upset about something...maybe he pissed them off on accident? He tended to do that alot sometimes, he just spaced out sometimes and would come back now and then to someone angrily glaring at him about shit...They looked kinda cute, he wished it was light out so he could get a better look at them...their eyes fucking glowed...that was fucking rad as hell he thought.

"....Bro you have like...the fuckin coolest eyes I've ever seen...shit's rad..I'm mad jelly over here.."

"Wh-? You...you think my eyes are neat? Wait don't distract me damnit... I'm supposed to be angry at you for kidnapping me."  
"..Ah fuck I did that.....shit. My bad bro..I'll take you back in the morning okay? Fuckin promise..mgh...."

The longer Forzen laid there staring at them, the harder it was to stay awake.. sleep was a tricky bitch to avoid sometimes...Maybe the lil guy could use a nap too? Forzen shuffled back under the covers and ducked back into his comfy warm spot with a huff....Thinking was hard right now...that shit was for Morning Forzen...not late night Forzen.

"We can like....figure shit out later please? Forzen sleepy...you can like..get some sleep too lil dude, its chill I don't mind sharin the bed with dudes."

"That's not...wait you seriously cannot be asleep that fast are you kidding me?"

"No yelly...it's not yell hours yet...gotta do the sleep now okay? G'night..."

"....well this is unbelievable..and here I thought I should be afraid of humans...."

The human, Forzen was it? Had a point sadly...He was exhausted now from all the fear finally draining from his body..Maybe a bit of a nap wouldn't be much of a problem...Yawning himself now, Darnold set his things down where they would be safe and climbed onto the pillow where some of the blanket overlapped. He might regret trusting this Forzen but..they seemed weirdly harmless, and maybe it was because the heat radiating off of him was making his own thoughts muddy with the call of sleep..But maybe things will work themselves out in the morning.

Hours later when the sun was up high enough to shine its rays into Forzens room and fucking blind him long enough to wake up, he slowly blinked his eyes as he registered something tucked close against him on the pillow. Shifting slowly, afraid Adrian had put something in his bed again he stilled when he spotted the tiny form a human being curled against him dead asleep.

"Oh fuck.......that wasn't a dream after all..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I firmly blame Team-Nice on Tumblr for this shit so here you go.
> 
> and its dedicated to all the Darnold and Forzen fans out there. I have no idea what im doing so if i fucked the characterizations up lemme know full out. The next chapter might be back with Gordon and crew again so..it might switch back and forth here

**Author's Note:**

> ive gotten so much positive hype and feedback from not only this but all three fics combined its making me cry honestly. If you guys draw artwork or anything please PLEASE tag me on here or my tumblr bc id love to see it


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